Improvement in sewing-machines



GHRLES H.W|LLCOX SEWING MACHINE.

AND l mus cAnLE'mN. ,N FEEB.

PAmNTEn JUN271871 UNITED STATESA PATENT OFFICE CHARLES H. WILLOOX, OF NEW YORK, AND GYRUS OARLETON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO THE WILLOOX St GIBBS SEWING-MACHINE COM- PANY, OF NEW YORK CITY.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 116,522, dated J une 27, 1871. i

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that we, CHARLES H. WrnLooX, of the city, county, and State of NewYork, and GYRUs OARLEroN, of Brooklyn, in the county l of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing- Machines, of which the following is a specication: l

This invention relates to four-motion feeds, so called; and consists in certain improvements in the construction of the feed-plate and the parts of the cloth-plate contiguous thereto, and with both of which the cloth is brought in contact under the pressure of the pad. The object of our invention is to overcome several defects which have hitherto existed in all four-motion feeds, one of which is the impossibility of feeding over seams of anyr considerable thickness without 'assist-ance, from the hands of the operator. When the seam is drawn by the feed-surface, in its forward movement, against the inclined surface of the toe of the pressure-foot, and the feed-surface then drops away from the seam below the top of the cloth-plate, the pressure of the inclined surface of the toe of the foot forces the seam and goods back again into the position'they started from; meanwhile the stitch-forming mechanism continues to Work, until the thread is snarled up beneath the cloth. Another defect arises from the bottom of the presser-foot not being` sufficiently covered by the teeth of the feed-surface so as to enable the feed to take hold and carry the goods regularly along, Whatever the inequalities may be. This defect is shown very plainly when one fell crosses another, in which case a bunch or ridge of cloth is formedextending only half-Way across the Width of the'foot and feedsurface. When this bunch is forced underneath the bottom of the foot and feed-surface, although the goods may entirely cover the bottom of the foot, the foot is elevated so much from the clothplate that, unless it is sufficiently covered by the teeth of the feed-surface, the goods will not be fed along, but will remain stationary Whilethe stitch-forming mechanism continues to Work, and the thread is finally snarled up. Another defect arises from inequalities or seams being forced, by the pressure of the foot, into the square or oblong hole Which, in ordinary machines, is found immediately back of the needle-hole, (and sometimes in front of it,) through which the feed-surface operates. In this case the seam is liable to rest, in a measure, on the teeth of thesurface during the whole of its motion, and partake of its backward 'as Well as vforward motion, in this way making very slow progress and short stitches, and imparting a tendency to the goods to gatherup underneath the foot. In order that the seam may be fed regularly, it should not be permitted to drop below the level of the cloth-plate. Y

Our invention is intended to obviate these and other defects; and to this end it may, in general, be stated to consist: First, in forming a toothed or serrated surface in that part of the Acloth-plate under the presser-foot which will engage With and prevent the cloth from receding from the curved or beveledend of the presser while the feed is releasing its hold and moving back preparatory to taking a fresh hold upon the goods. Second, in dividing the feeding-surface of afourlmotion feed so as-to afford on each side and in the front and rear of the needle a feedingsurface, each isolated from the othersby the clothl plate, and in such proximity, one to another, that no seam or bundle of goods can be fed under the presser-foot into such a position that the teeth of some one of the feeding-surfaces Will not take hold of it and fee'd it along regularly.

T6 enable those skilled in the art to understand and use our invention, we will now proceed to describe the manner in which the same is or may be carried into effect, by reference to the accompanying drawing, in whichare views of the feed taken from opposite sides..

Fig. 8 is a bottom view of the feed. Fig. 9 is a top view of the same. y p

The portion of the cloth-plate in which the feed-surface opening' or aperture is formed is represented at A. B is the presser-'foot or pad, with its inclined or beveled toe a constructed in the usual manner. The feed-surface aperture con- Fig. 5 is 'a transvlie under the presser-foot, are cut teeth like those on the feed-surface, which are embedded in theI cloth by the'pressure of the foot when the feedsurface drops below the cloth-plate, and thus prevent the seam from slipping backward away from the presser-footwhen the feed releases its hold.

' In Fig. 3 the feed-surface or plate is represented in the slots c. This feed-surface is clearly shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. It is divided into four isolated surfaces, each adapted to ll or nearly iill one of the slots c, the slots being of such dimensions as to allow the proper longitudinal move'- Inent of the surfaces, the center slot in rear of the needle being also elongated, so that its front part may form the needle-hole, as above eX- plained. It will be seen that the cross-bars d d of the cloth-plate support the cloth and prevent it from resting on the feed-surface after the teeth have dropped below the level of the plate. The presser-pad is made a little narrowerthan the feed-surface, and the three lines of teeth of the feed are so near each other that no seam or bunch of goods can be fed under the pad into such a position that the teeth will not take hold of it and feed it regularly. In Fig. 2 the seam e is represented as brought by the feed against the inclined toe of the foot B at a. Heretofore in four-motioned feeds, when the feed dropped away from the goods below the surface of the clothplate, the pressure of the inclined toe a tended 'to force the seam from under the foot; but in the present instance, when the feed-surface drops awayv below the plate, the pressure of the toe ofl y the pad tends to embed the seam or irregularity into the teeth of the cloth-plate, which teeth are purposely made quite rank. By this operation the seam is left where the feed-surface carried it, and the cloth is fed along regularly under the foot without assistance from the operator.

The advantages of such a feed are apparent. The stitches are of uniform length 5 the work is not marred by the needle passing down several times into the same hole, leaving a succession of loose loops hanging beneath the goods; and the thread is not broken and tangled on account of the feed lnot operating. Y

Having now described our invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be carried into effect, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination,"with a fourrnotion feed proper and a smooth presser-foot or pad, of a cloth-plate having that part of its surface which lies under the presser-foot and between feed-surfaces serrated, substantially as shown and described, so that the cloth may be prevented from receding from under the beveled end of the pad when the feed releases its hold thereon, as set forth.

2. A feeding-surface of a four-motion feed, so divided as to afford an lisolated feeding-surface on each side of and inthe rear and front of the needle, one of the divisions or sections having its play within an elongated needle-hole in the cloth-plate, as shown and set forth, to afford a greater grasping-surface for the feed in rear of the needle.

. In testimonywhereof we have signed ournames to this s pecication before two subscribing witnesses. .l Y

GHAS. H. WILLGOX.

CYRUS GARLETON.

Witnesses i THEO. A. TAYLOR, HENRY L. BEssEY. 

